Alan Griffin (Bruce, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Hansard source

Mr Ross is a resident of the seat of Bendigo and is known well to the member for Bendigo, Mr Steve Gibbons. Steve says he has known Jack since he was a young bloke—he was at his 100th birthday. Jack is the last of over 400,000 Australians who enlisted in the Great War. He enlisted at the age of 18 in January 1918. He did not serve overseas because, at the time his training was underway—thankfully for all of those who were left—the war finished.

We should remember at a time like this that some 61,000-plus Australians died in that war and some 156,000-plus were wounded or taken as POWs—that from a population of fewer than five million. He was the last of the generation that gave so much at a time when a country needed it. He was part of that generation which was the first of the Anzac tradition.

Jack is an unassuming man, so I am told. He has not been fussed by the kerfuffle that is occurring around his birthday. He has been concentrating on spending the day with family and with close friends, and for that he has certainly earned our respect. But I believe we would be remiss if we did not acknowledge in this chamber that this is a very special milestone. As I understand it, according to the Minister for Health and Ageing, he is also Australia’s oldest man. I want to assure the House that it is something that I will not achieve.

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